5.31.2008

HOUSTON (Wireless Flash) — A group of crafty, knitting taggers are turning graffiti into warm and fuzzy street art. They’re called the Knitta Please Crew, and leader Magda Sayeg, whose street name is PolyCotN, says no stop sign pole, door handle, car antenna, or tree is safe from being “tagged” with one of the crew’s fuzzy, knitted cozies. Among the members in the crew are a male knitter named MascuKnitity and a 72-yearold Knitta master named GrannySQ. Over the past few years, the Knitta Crew has tagged streets all over the world with their colorful yarn creations, including New York City, Montreal, Sweden, Germany, El Salvador, and The Great Wall Of China. France’s biggest wool company once called on the Knittas to deck out Paris for an anniversary party, and Sayeg says the crew represented by marking everything from the Eiffel Tower to Le Louvre with their yarn art. She says, “We made about 300 pieces and had to ask volunteer knitters to come help us. We worked on Paris for about two months!” Sayeg’s favorite things to tag are old, rusty stop signs that need a “little boost,” and fire hydrants. She says, “Fire hydrants are already cute, but add a little knitted hat with pom-poms and they’re adorable!”